National Treasure Accounts 2: Book of Secrets
by gothamnightwitch
Summary: Esther's back to help Ben again! This time, she has to help clear his family name by finding a lost treasure associated with Thomas Gates the night he and President Lincoln were assassinated. The hunt might be more dangerous than the last one, but Esther is willing to put her life on the line to put a light on history's truth.
1. Prologue

I walked around this very large room with moving paintings, telling me what place in time it represented. It was how I started my dreams for the months that followed the revealing of the Knights Templar treasure. I didn't know which one of the paintings to go to.

"Might I suggest one for you to see?"

"What are thinking of, Alex?"

He paused. I wasn't sure what was going on, but there was something he failed to mention to me. One of many things he failed to mention to me.

"There's something I've been meaning to show you for a long time."

He took me to an old stone painting and pulled me through it. We stood in the middle of an endless meadow. Out of nowhere, large groups of darker skinned people approach me from different sides. They didn't see Alex, but that was probably because he wasn't a past seer. At least, not a live one.

"Who are you?"

 _Alex, any thoughts?_

" _Don't say your normal name. They won't understand what you're saying."_

 _Then what do I say?_

" _Your name is Little Star and you are a traveler and mean no harm."_

 _Anything else?_

" _For the moment, no."_

I moved up a couple of steps. The people held spears and weapons in their hands, not afraid to use force. I put my hands up in defense.

"My name is Little Star. I am a traveler and mean no harm."

"From what tribe are you of?"

"I have no tribe. I am part of no people."

"So you are alone?"

"Yes. I have no loyalties except for all that is holy."

The clouds parted in the sky. A soft, unnoticeable beam of light came upon me. The people around me stood in awe at the sight. I looked at what I was wearing, shocked and soundless.

A pure white Native American dress clothed my body and gold jewelry adorned my legs and arms. My feet were covered with small moccasins of white deer hide. I reached my hands up to my head to feel a feathered headdress on top of my braided hair. The headdress, though small, felt significant in some manner.

All of the people around me were on their knees as I stood before them. One of them approached me.

"Please come with us to our city, Little Star."

I could only nod my head in reply. I was guided on the plains to the city they told me of. A lake awaited in the mountains we climbed up. I followed the tribe into the cave that would go into the mountain. Water rushed into the tunnels as we got closer and closer. I gasped at the sight of a city made entirely of gold. I didn't know that such a place existed. People moved about, talking to the other about gossip. All chatter stopped the moment I entered the city. Everyone's eyes were on me as I descended the gilded stairs. All of the citizens fell onto their knees and bowed to me. I hated such attention. At the top, a man dressed in rich clothes stared at me.

"Who is this woman that you have brought before me?" he asked in a loud voice.

"She told us that she is called Little Star and that she is a traveler, belonging to no tribe."

"Bring her to me."

I was pushed forward and I climbed the stairs to the man atop the shimmering pyramid. I was frightened at what he could possibly want with me. I lowered my head out of respect.

"Raise your head so that I may see your face."

I looked up. The man before me was a little older than the Alex I fell in love with. He was dressed richly, beads and gold around his neck and body. A well decorated headdress embellished his head. He took my chin in his hand.

"Such a beautiful face and warm eyes," he murmured.

"Th-th-thank you."

 _Oh, great. I just stuttered in front of a very attractive young man who appears to be the chief._

"I am Firelight, the chief of these people. Who was your leader?"

"I did not have one. I do not even know who my parents are."

His eyes grew larger. I had to be a really good liar to make him do that.

"You were raised by the gods. Perhaps the Moon Goddess herself. Tell me, what is your purpose?"

"I-I-I-I don't know, to be honest. But I am sure fate has something planned for me."

"Yes, fate always has something planned for all of us. Please. Join us for a fest tonight."

"I would be most honored to have one in such a magnificent city."

"This city, my dear, is Cibola."

 _Cibola. Where have I heard of that before?_

The night was long and I partied pretty hard for a 17 year-old. But all was well and good. I stayed awake as I was in a dream already. The morning came and the first thing that grabbed my attention was the sound of a horn.

"The enemy has arrived! Ready the warriors for battle!"

I frantically looked around as the people moved around quickly, readying for a blood bath. I heard whinnying and rushed to the sound. A pure white horse came to my sight, wild and free. I straddled it without hesitation.

"Hiyah!"

The horse whinnied and I rode her into the battlefield. I stood atop a hill, the sun shining on me and the horse. All of the warriors stared at me, the ones I stayed with and the ones that were going to attack us. I really felt like a goddess with such power coming over me.

"Cease all attacking and return to your homes!"

They hesitated for a long time, but eventually they went to their respective lands. I rode back to Cibola where the people cheered for me. Firelight came up to me.

"Little Star, we shall have a memorial in your honor to commemorate the miracle of peace you have bestowed upon us."

"I am grateful, but also humble. There is no need for you to do such an honorable thing."

"Nonsense! We shall have the story of your visit etched into the blocks that built Cibola for you have saved it."

"I am honored. I'm afraid that I must be going."

"To where?"

"Wherever the wind takes me."

I winked at Firelight.

"Hiyah!"

I rode off into the plains once again. Alex came to my side on a mare.

" _You must go east, now. The story is not over yet."_

"What will I find in the east?"

" _Something familiar. We will be traveling at least 500 years into the future, but still be in the past."_

I followed him east. The land changed greatly. The grass grew taller and yellower. Houses made of bricks and wood appeared in the forests we traveled in. I looked down at my clothes as they changed with the times. I was wearing petticoats again.

"Am I going to the American Revolution again?"

" _No, but it will be another war. One that Ben is remembering quite well in the present."_

It made no sense until we passed the Appalachian Mountains. I saw men dressed in blue point their guns at men wearing gray. My heart stopped and my throat clenched at the sight of blood and horror.

"No. Not this war."

" _Essie, we must press forward. We are almost at our destination."_

I continued to ride near him. Night came and we rode into a town with lights everywhere. People were cheering. The men in blue marched through the streets, their expressions cold. War changes people. I should know because I had been involved with battles over the years. I got off the horse and wandered the streets.

" _This way, Essie. You have at least an hour before you see the event I've been meaning to show you."_

I followed him into a bar. Men were sitting at tables, drinking away their worries. Some of them reached out to grab me. I dodged them quickly and continued to the back. A man sat at table covered with papers, alone. A boy watched him work, anticipating the result. The man looked up from his work.

 _It couldn't be. It can't be!_

"May I help you, young miss?"

"Yes. Um, you wouldn't happen to be Thomas Gates, would you?"

"And if I was?"

"I was wondering if I could learn the trade of a decipherer."

He sat up and looked at me with curiosity.

"I normally don't teach young ladies."

"Perhaps you can make an exception, Mr. Gates."

"I suppose. Let me create a cipher and see if you can solve it."

So he gave me many tests to see what skill I had. I was troubled a little along the way, but I managed to solve all of them once I got the hang of it. Thomas was impressed. Little did he know that he would die very soon. I learned as much as I could, sitting next to him, until a pair of men came up to the table.

"Are you Thomas Gates?"

"Yes."

"We got something that we'd like you to take a look at. I hear you're quite good with puzzles and riddles."

 _Booth. Not good._

"It's a coded message."

"It's a Playfair cipher."

"Playfair cipher?"

 _One of the earliest codes we learned in the Society._

"Can you decode it?"

"Cipher's impossible to decode without the key."

"What do you mean by 'a key'?" the man asked.

"A keyword or phrase."

"I believe what you need is right there," Booth replied, pointing to the phrase in the diary.

 **The debt that all men pay.**

 _And the boy… It's Charles! That means that this is the moment that Charles tells Patrick when he comes around. And the same moment that Patrick tells to Ben!_

"It'll take some time."

"I'll assist him as best as I can," I replied quickly.

"And you are?"

"My newest apprentice. She is very helpful and can make this go faster."

I paid attention to the cipher as well as the assassins of Lincoln.

"Go on. I'll take your diary. I'll meet up with you later."

Booth left and the other man sat down at the table.

 _Alex. Could you-_

" _Way ahead of you, Essie. I'll let you know exactly what he's doing."_

I kept my eyes on the cipher as Alex went on recon to keep an eye on Booth.

" _He's entering Ford Theatre… Booth is going backstage… He's now at the door to Lincoln's box… Lincoln's been shot!"_

And that's when all hell breaks loose: the moment the president is shot.

" _ **Sic semper tyrannis."**_

Thus always to tyrants. I never understood what Booth meant by that, but I didn't plan on it. In only a few short moments, Thomas would die. He was just about to put the pieces together.

"Temples." He circled the word.

"Gold." He circled the word.

"Cibola? This is a treasure map."

Thomas looked up to the man in front of him to notice the gold pin on his jacket.

"KGC? You're Knights of the Golden Circle. You're a traitor. You're all traitors."

I heard the gun under the table cock. I controlled my breathing and readied my hand to reach for my sword if I needed it. In the distance, people were shouting and screaming, paranoid and panicking.

"President Lincoln's been shot!"

The man still had that reptile gaze on Thomas and me.

"I'd much appreciate it if you'd finish deciphering that code now."

Thomas refused to do so in his body language. Once the opportunity came, he leapt out of his chair, ripping out the pages he worked on, and headed to the fire. The man shot him.

"Dad!"

Thomas clutched his heart, trying to stop the bleeding.

"The war is over."

He threw the pages he ripped into the fire.

"No!"

The man raced to the fire to pull out what was left of the pages. I stood by Thomas, guarding him. The man held his gun at me and looked at Thomas one last time.

"You're wrong about that. The war has only just begun!"

He left quickly. Thomas took Charles' hand, giving his last breath.

"Charles. The debt that all men... men pay. The debt that all men p..."

"Dad! No, please!"

Thomas gave up. I closed my eyes, holding back the tears that so desperately wanted to come out.

"Come back. It's not fair. Help! Somebody help, please!"

I left the room, unable to accept what happened. Had time travel really existed, I would've prevented the whole ordeal. But no. I can only observe time and affect it in my sleep, never in reality. Except for that one time with Alex…

The horse I rode on came up to me. I mounted her and rode into the mountains, north to the harbor I longed to be at. I ran to the boulder, crying my heart out. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

" _I know, but you must understand why you have this, Esther."_

"It doesn't help me, Robert."

" _Try, my dear. Try to understand."_

I stayed silent. The sun rose and I hurried to the boat that would take me out of the dream. Out of the nightmare. Out of the terrible reality of my gift.


	2. Chapter 1

I woke up slowly. I checked the clock. It was only 7 in the morning. I got out and headed to the kitchen. I was staying over at Ben and Abigail's. Well, it was actually Abigail's since the wonderful couple got into an argument over the word "so". Who has fights over a single word? Come on, people! It's just one little word! In any case, I planned on going to DC since Ben was presenting Thomas as part of the Civilian Heroes exhibit. Ben had spent so much time being engrossed in this project that I rarely spent time seeing him in public.

I didn't have anyone as part of the exhibit. Not like I needed one with Robert Livingston, co-writer of the Declaration of Independence. But it felt good to know that ordinary people did extraordinary things. Like Thomas Gates. He helped to prevent the Confederates from rising up again and kicking the Union's butt with destroying the treasure map.

"Morning, Esther. How did you sleep?"

"Slept well. Thanks for asking Abigail. How 'bout you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. I cooked up some eggs and toasted some bread. After pouring a glass of orange juice, I ate my homemade breakfast. Mom taught me how to cook for myself, just in case I went out for another mission for a long time. Because I had a habit of doing that for some reason.

"Any plans for today?"

"Not really. I heard about this exhibit the other day and I thought I'd check it out."

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Ben, now would it?"

"What makes you think that?"

"He's presenting Thomas Gates as part of the Civilian Heroes exhibit."

I shut my mouth. Abigail was pretty good at deducing after her little "abduction" into the Templar treasure hunt. I looked down at my plate.

"No, it wouldn't. Besides, I have to check up on Teacher with something in DC. He is the head of the US Knights Templar division."

"Right. That part slips my mind on occasion."

"Well then, use glue. It tends to keep things from slipping."

Abigail laughed. In truth, I did have to see Teacher about what I saw. And then I wanted to see Ben and his presentation on Thomas. My mood changed drastically after thinking about Thomas, how I watched him die and Charlie cry out for him to come back.

"You okay, Esther?"

"Huh? Yeah! Just thinking about what Teacher would want to see me for. Why?"

"You looked like you were spacing out. Sure you don't have any issues?"

"Not really. Unless you count being the most wanted person on the planet, dead or alive."

Abigail didn't delve any further into that discussion because she knew what I was capable of and what I had done in the past. We finished breakfast and Abigail dropped me off near the Reflection Pool. I looked up at the Lincoln Memorial, wondering why Alex had me watch all that happen. It was horrifying since I listened to Alex tell me that Lincoln died and then I had to watch Thomas die the same night.

"Bellator Eget Christi?"

I turned my head to see Teacher approach me.

"I understand that you wanted to talk to me about something. Correct?"

"Yes. Teacher, do you know anything about a city of gold?"

"Well, there are many cities of gold."

"One that deals with Native Americans."

"You'll need to be more specific."

"Cibola, Teacher. I'm talking about Cibola."

He paused. Either he knew and didn't want to tell me or he didn't know.

"It's only a fable, my dear. No one has ever found Cibola."

"You sure about that? Because I might've seen it."

He leaned in to me.

"Through your gift?"

"Yes."

"Come with me."

We sat down at a bench near the Reflection Pool.

"I assume you want to find it."

"I do. All I know is that it's somewhere west of here. And Ben's great-great-grandfather had gotten started. It has to be the team again, Teacher. It has to be."

He pondered over what I said. Ben was the only person I could think of that would do something of such risk and have the rewards given to the people. Cibola was a lost culture, a lost civilization. The world needed to know what its ancestors were capable of and Cibola was most certainly an excellent example.

"Alright. I will make sure I have contacts available for you to reach in the major cities. Take a pager or cellphone. Betsy will still be your quartermaster for whatever gear you may require. Just understand that should you break the law, it will be out of my hands."

"I'm well aware of that, Teacher. And thank you." I gave him a big hug. "Now, would it be possible for you to drop me off where Ben is giving a presentation on Thomas Gates?"

"Quite possible," he smiled.

He dropped me off and I entered the building. Ben was looking at his notecards for his speech to the assembly and the media. His eyes wandered to me as he paced back and forth on the floor.

"Esther!"

I walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"Hi, Ben. How are you?"

"I'm good. You?"

"A little tired. Just visited a bunch of Indians in the Great Plains."

"The gift again?"

I told Ben about my gift before and I even gave a hint as to who Alex was when we were hunting for the Templar treasure.

"Yeah."

"Did you learn anything new?"

"Mmm… not really. You worried about the presentation?"

"Not really." We laughed. "I'm just hoping that everyone sees Thomas as just an ordinary person-"

"-that did something extraordinary. I was thinking the same thing."

People started to filter in and I checked the time. The presentation was going to be in just a few minutes. I seated myself in the front row to Ben's left. The cameras were ready and the room was filled with people. Ben eventually began his speech. I was intrigued by how he portrayed the event as I had already witnessed it myself.

"So recapping: The Knights of the Golden Circle was a Southern extremist group, operating in the north to subvert Union forces. Had Thomas not burned the legendary missing pages from the Booth diary, the killers may have found a vast treasure of gold, and the Union may well have lost the Civil War. Thank you."

 _Applause, applause, applause. Yada, yada, yada._

"I'd like to thank Ben and Patrick Gates. And say what a wonderful addition Thomas Gates is to our Civilian Heroes exhibit. Thank you."

"Thank you, Dr. Nichols. I only wish my grandfather had been here to see this wonderful day."

"Excuse me. I have a question I'd like to ask."

My head turned to the back and the balcony where a man sat down.

"What do you think happened to that Booth diary page that was pulled out of the fire?"

"We may never know."

 _Funny, 'cause I happen to know what happened to it._

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

 _Wait, what parlor trick are you playing?_

"You see, I have one of those great-great-granddaddies, like you, way up in my family tree. Name of Silas Wilkinson. He used to tell a story about the night Lincoln was shot. As Silas tells it, Booth didn't seek out Thomas Gates regarding the treasure map that night. It was Thomas who called the meeting. A meeting to plan the assassination of Lincoln."

 _That is a load of trash! Booth and the guy with him came to Thomas asking for help with a cipher, not to assassinate Lincoln! I saw it with my own eyes!_

"How absurd."

"That's a lie!"

The man stood up, pulling something out of his inside breast pocket.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...one of the missing pages from the infamous diary of John Wilkes Booth with the name Thomas Gates written on a list along with all the other killers."

The room was cleared of everyone except for Ben, Patrick, Dr. Nichols, and the man who presented the page. I also stuck around, but not happy with the results.

"And Latin?"

"Booth was a student of Latin. He shouted, 'Sic semper tyrannis' after he shot Lincoln. 'Thus always to...'"

"'Thus always to tyrants.' We know."

"'Surratt, copiae'?"

"Military supplies. Mary Surratt was convicted and hanged for supplying Booth with a rifle and field glasses."

 _And they said that a woman couldn't do the work of a man._

Ben took a step to the projection screen and read the name.

"'Thomas Gates, artifex.'"

"'Designer' or 'mastermind.'"

"I know what it means."

 _And you're just dragging the whole thing, buck-o._

"He must have, uh, planned the assassination."

"I see."

"Could mean mastermind of anything. You see that? Burned out right there."

 _That is a very valid point, Patrick._

"I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you."

"May l, Mr...?"

"Wilkinson."

 _I'll keep that last name in mind._

"I'll see if this new page matches the Booth diary."

Dr. Nichols took the page that Wilkinson brought and prepared to compare it to the diary.

"This is an outrage. You're calling my grandfather a liar."

"With respect, now you're calling my great-great-granddaddy a liar."

"Yes, sir, I am. This isn't some garbage from a history book. My grandfather told me this story himself. I saw the truth of it in his eyes."

Dr. Nichols put the page to the diary. It was a perfect fit.

"I'm sorry, sir. I truly am."

"We'll test this thoroughly, Patrick, to authenticate it."

"It can't be."

I felt really bad for Patrick. He heard the story from Charlie and passed it on to Ben. But I knew the truth and knew that I couldn't rub in the fact that I knew it. Otherwise, the hunt for Cibola would be short and bloody. I walked up to Patrick and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Is he right?"

"Have faith that you are the right one, Patrick. He may have proof, but for something to be right, you have to spend a long time proving it. He didn't. You did."

Patrick got an idea and the moment we stepped into his house, he set to work, looking for the answer and proof he needed. I stood in the doorway, letting Patrick look for what he would need. Ben later joined me.

"Is he right?"

"Really? Are you as doubtful as your father? Because he asked me the same thing."

"And what did you tell him?"

"Believe in what you think is right."

"Can't you just go to the moment in time through your dream and get the answer?"

"Ben, I'm good, but I'm not that good. Alex is still training me."

We looked back at Patrick.

"Maps to presidents' houses. Keys to locks that don't exist. What's the point? What am I looking for? Proof, proof, proof. What proof?" he mumbled.

I could only hope that Patrick's faith in his grandfather's story would grow so that he wouldn't give up. Ben left the scene and I shortly joined him outside by his car. He looked at me in the eye.

"We need Riley's help."

 _Wait, what?_


	3. Chapter 2

The next thing I knew, I was "kidnapped" and brought to Riley's doorsteps. Ben sat down with a book in his hand and I pulled out my journal, writing down everything that happened in my dream since I forgot to write down my account before going to see Teacher. Riley came over eventually. Except something was missing…

"Where's the Ferrari?"

"IRS impounded it."

"The IRS?"

 _Huh. I didn't know they could do that._

"Funny story. My accountant set up a 'corporation' (wink) on an island that didn't exist and assured me that that's how 'rich' (wink) people do it. Then I got audited and slapped with a huge fine, plus interest! Wanna know what taxes are on 5 million dollars? 6 million dollars." He took a seat next to Ben. "But enough about me. What's new with you?"

"Well, my girlfriend kicked me out, I'm living with my dad, and my family killed President Lincoln."

"Alright."

I smirked and shook my head.

"I need your help."

And just like that, Ben hooked Riley into another crazy scheme, binding the three of us into another adventure.

"Did he drag you into this?" Riley asked me.

"Now see, that sounds a lot like a person I knew about a year ago when we did something else crazy. But it was crazier than what Ben here is going to pull you into," I answered.

It wasn't long before Ben, Riley, and I we on our way to Abigail's estate. Of course, she had told me that she was going out on a date with the White House's curator. This meant very easy access to the house with little to no trouble.

"I can't believe you have to break into your own house."

 _Actually, I'm not surprised._

"I need to get Abigail's ID. She has access to the Booth diary page."

"Why don't you ask Abigail for her help?"

"She changed the alarm code, Riley. She's not going to talk to me."

 _Uh, duh! I was staying here every now and then. I know what Abigail is thinking about half of the time._

We were at the door in due course.

"All right. We have 30 seconds after the alert starts to disable the alarm. Go."

We got in quickly and Riley set up his equipment to disable the alarm.

"I'll probably regret asking this, but what happened with you and Abigail?"

 _Here we go! Not really one to listen in on such pathetic talks._

"I don't know. I don't know. She started using the word 'so' a lot."

"'So?'"

"Yeah, like, 'So, I guess my opinion doesn't matter.' 'So, you seem to always know what's best.' 'So, I guess I'm invisible.' Now I've moved out, we're dividing furniture..."

Riley finished disabling the alarm.

"Women. Can't live with them, especially if they change the alarm codes."

Ben checked his watch.

"You did that in 25 seconds."

"That's why I tell people to get a dog."

 _And with very good reason._

We headed up to Abigail's office. Ben opened a drawer and pulled out her ID card.

"Got it."

"All right, let's go."

Suddenly, a car appears in the driveway.

"That's not Abigail's car. She was on a date."

Two people get out: a man and a woman. It's Abigail and he-whose-name-slips-my-mind.

"Isn't that that guy? The White House guy?"

The couple are chatting and making their way to the doors. I force down a gag reflex at the sight. I really didn't like the sight of that guy and Abigail together. That guy SHOULD be Ben.

"He's weird!"

"We get it, Riley. And now would be a very good time to get out of here before Abigail figures out that we broke into her house."

We try to hurry, but Abigail gets to the front door before any of us can leave. Riley walked to a doorway on the side while I hid beneath the staircase. Ben pretended to make his leave with a box just as Abigail and that guy come in.

"Oh, Abigail."

"What are you doing here?"

"I just needed to get some things. Connor, good to see you again."

"Gates."

 _That's his name!_ I accidentally snapped my fingers.

"Esther? Are you here, too?"

I stayed silent.

"I'm waiting."

 _How does she know these things!? I'm the best- oh never mind._

I stepped out, putting on my best smile.

"How did you get in, Ben?"

I looked down, trying to get the guilt put on me. But I never knew how to disable the alarm system. I mean, yeah, I've been sneaking into places for a living, but this was an alarm system that I wouldn't have a problem getting around. Most of the time, I cut the power off and then sneak in before the back-up generators kick in. But I think I didn't pass off as the person who gave entry to Ben because Abigail put her hands on her hips.

"Riley! Come out here!"

Riley came out from where I hid him.

"What? Hey! What are you doing here? I mean, it's your house, but... I sent you a copy of my book. Did you get a chance...?"

"No, I haven't read it yet."

 _Ouch._

"I know you. You're the White House curator. I'm Riley. We met, uh, back in..."

"Right. You're, uh, Ben's assistant."

"What?"

 _Double ouch._

"Um, maybe I should go."

"Yeah, I'm really..."

"Dinner tomorrow night?"

"I... I actually already have plans for tomorrow."

"You do?" I looked at Ben.

"Of course you do."

"But I'm free on Friday."

"Awkward."

 _Duly noted, Riley._

I turned my head away from the mushy stuff that would've definitely forced me to give an acted gag reflex. Connor left and Abigail made her way down the stairs to Ben.

"I cannot believe you broke in. What did you take?"

"It's just my things."

Abigail grabbed the box Ben had in his hand, empty I'm sure.

"Hand it over, Ben."

Ben sighed and handed the ID to Abigail.

"I need to see the Booth diary page."

"You saw the page yourself. There is no treasure map on it."

"No, it's a cipher leading to a map. Anyone spectral-image the page?"

"No need to. The ink writing on the page is clearly visible."

"It could have been erased or faded. You're the director of document conservation. You know this."

"Not up to me. It's not my department," Abigail finalized, making her way to a room down a hall.

"That department reports to your department. Come on. One look under infrared. You can have the Boston Tea Tables."

That stopped Abigail in her tracks. She was a very big history nut, so to speak. And something like the Boston Tea Tables was worth a lot more than money to Abigail. I mean, come on. If I were in her shoes, I would totally take the tea tables for historic value and not economic value. The good news is that Abigail thinks like that often. She turned on her heels back to us.

"Both of them?"

 _So bought it. And now, we start our adventure, once again. By dragging Abigail into the mess with her security clearance to see any and all documents._


	4. Chapter 3

We sat in front of a computer monitor, going over the Booth diary page for at least the 50th time. There was something, but it looked like nothing to the group.

"We've been looking at this page for hours. There's nothing there."

"Ben, I really don't think we're going to find anything on this page."

"In a hundred years, no one's going to remember anyone involved in the Lincoln assassination besides Booth."

"That's not true. Do you know the expression, 'His name is mud'?"

"Yes. Of course."

"You do? You know the origin of the expression?"

"Does anyone but you?"

 _I do!_

"Dr. Samuel Mudd was convicted of being a co-conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. The evidence was circumstantial. He was later pardoned, but it didn't matter. Mudd's name still lives in infamy. And l will not let Thomas Gates' name be mud."

 _Inspiration moment come and gone. Back to the present!_

"Ben."

"What?"

"Look at this."

We focused our eyes on a darkened area of the page. If memory served well, the darkened area was one of the coupled letters of the Playfair cipher.

"See that?"

"Oh. That's quite something, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It says 'smudge.'"

We glared at Riley. He could be so… ugh!

"It's nothing."

"Residual ink from the facing page. Flip it."

Abigail turned over the page so that the coupled letters would show up.

"The letters are backwards. It's a cipher. Yes."

"It is."

"A cipher. See how the letters are coupled? Playfair ciphers encode letters in pairs. This could prove his story."

"Unless you decode the cipher, this does not prove a theory."

"That's OK. We need a five-letter keyword."

"What's the keyword?"

"I don't know yet."

 _I do! But so does Patrick, unknowingly._

"All right."

"Uh, can I get a printout of this?"

"There's a billion words in the English language. Got to be a logical... Let's start from the beginning. A. Aardvark."

 _Not 5 letters, Riley!_

"Don't want to rain on your parade here, but I don't think this is gonna stop Dr. Nichols from announcing the discovery of the page tomorrow."

"No, now, wait. Can't you ask him to wait until I prove Thomas is innocent?"

"What if he isn't innocent?"

 _Tsk, tsk, tsk. Abigail, have you learned nothing from being around Ben and Riley and me?_

She handed Ben the copy of the page and left. I stood by Ben and waited for him to make a move so that I could follow him. We headed back to Patrick's home and Riley tried every five-letter word he could. So far, none of them worked. Riley just reached the B's when my pager went off.

"Excuse me."

 **Betsy:** check the news. Now.

I went to Patrick and saw him on the computer. Dr. Nichols was already announcing the discovery of the Booth diary page.

 **Betsy:** any plans for restoring the Gates family honor?

 **Me:** Playfair cipher found on page. Working to find right five-letter word.

 **Betsy:** where at?

 **Me:** B

 **Betsy:** you are really far behind. Go to front door.

I went to the front door to find a duffel bag with my title embroidered on the front.

 **Me:** ok. Where are you?

 **Betsy:** outside the house, but I need to leave. Use pager in emergency. Cellphone inside.

I checked on the cellphone for any text messages.

 **Betsy:** use this for regular contacting. Let me know when you need to attend a party.

I smirked. She would have a dress and accessories, fancy and covert, for me if I needed to attend a formal event. I put the duffel bag on the couch and went to check up on Ben and Patrick.

"They have no understanding. You know the truth. That's all that matters. You heard the story from Grandpa."

"The story? This guy's got evidence. He's got everything. We have a story. We have nothing. For one brief moment, the Gates family could hold its head up. Now we're a bunch of crazies."

"But we're not liars. Wilkinson is saying that Thomas Gates was a mastermind to one of the darkest hours in U.S. history and he burned the diary page to cover that up. You and I both know he burned the page to keep Booth's men from finding the treasure. That's what we're going to prove. Only one way to prove it."

"Find the treasure."

"You've got to find it. You're going to help me find it. So come on. Let's hear the story again from Grandpa Charles."

"Grandpa heard his father say, 'Treasure map.' Then there was a commotion."

"Got all that. Anything after that? Anything he said, something he did? Anything at all?"

"Wait a minute."

 _YES! YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!_

"What?"

"He took his son's hand (took Ben's hand). He looked him in the eye, and he said, with his dying breath, 'The debt that all men pay.'"

"'The debt that all men pay'?"

"The debt that Thomas paid."

"That's five letters."

"Oh!"

 _WWWWHHHHHOOOOOOOO HHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

I really wanted to a victory dance! But I saved it for a rainy day. We rushed to where Riley was.

"Try 'Death.'"

"What?"

"It's the keycode. The debt that all men pay is death."

"All right."

Riley typed in "death" and the cipher began to work. The only problem was that the whole cipher didn't show up. There was a lot more work to be done than I had hoped, but this also meant that there were a set of tests for Ben to pass. I felt very nostalgic for a brief moment.

"L-A-B-O-U-L... It's Lab-ool... Lab-ahl... La... It's gibberish."

"Laboulaye!"

"Laboulaye!"

"Laboulaye! What is that?"

"It's a who. Édouard Laboulaye. Where's the phone?"

"I don't know. Can't find anything in this mess."

"Temporary 'til I find a new place."

"Find the old one. I like her."

Ben did eventually find the phone and called Abigail. Conveniently, she was at a formal event and met up with Mr. Wilkinson on the discovery of what we found on the Booth diary page.

"We cracked the cipher. It's 'Laboulaye.' The cipher spells 'Laboulaye.'"

Abigail was probably thinking it means nothing since Laboulaye was a famous writer in France, but he did appreciate the US. He was an abolitionist himself.

"Or maybe there was a treasure map like Thomas Gates said there was, and Laboulaye had it. We only got a partial on the next word. L-A-D, lad... ladder... L-A-D."

"Aladdin! Aladdin?"

And then…

"Thank you, Abigail! Laboulaye Lady. Do you know what Laboulaye was planning right around the time Lincoln was assassinated?"

 _I do! But no one ever calls on me!_

"There's a map or a clue to a map on the Statue... She hung up."

"She took your call. That was good."

I giggled. Sometimes the funniest of things happened in the oddest of times. Here was the thing: Édouard Laboulaye was the one who had written about a statue for the US to have to represent liberty.

"You're saying there's a treasure map in the Statue of Liberty?"

"Laboulaye was a Mason. They built clues into everything."

"Did you learn that from my book?"

I shook my head. Patrick had known about Mason history and culture longer than Riley had been alive. Of course he didn't learn from Riley's book! Now, here was the other thing.

"So the only question is, which Statue of Liberty?"

"Exactly." Riley paused and looked at Patrick. "Is there more than one?"

 _Uh, YEAH!_

"There are three, actually, Riley. One is in New York, one in the Luxembourg Garden."

"But he only referred to one as his 'lady.'"

And it wasn't the one in the US. We had to pack our bags and have our passports set.

"We are going to France!" I announced.


	5. Chapter 4

Teacher made sure my passport was up-to-date before heading out and my materials were set with my international contacts once I gave a list of the things I requested to have at my disposal. I rested on the plane, traveling to the room with the moving paintings. Alex greeted me and we talked about the next course of action for a while. Once we landed, Ben, Riley, and I stopped in our hotel room. It was the middle of the night so we explored Paris for some time before hitting the sack.

The next day we went to the Île aux Cygnes, where Laboulaye's Lady awaited. I prepared myself with basic things such as duct tape, rope, and cash. Riley took out his helicopter and flew it to the scale model Statue of Liberty.

"This is like, impossible, what you're doing."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"Laboulaye had to leave a clue somewhere on here. Move in on the torch."

"Let me get there. It's not as easy as it looks."

"No. Believe me, I understand."

I overheard some sort of police scanner going off. I turned my head and tapped at Ben's shoulder once the policemen were talking to us. In French.

"Excuse me, officer. May I help you?"

"Ah, American, eh? Of course you see no problem in disturbing everyone's pleasant morning with your buzzing there."

"Hey! You know how much our constitution was influenced by your man, Montesquieu?"

"You know Montesquieu?"

 _I do! Again! No one calls on me!_

"Montesquieu, yeah. 'A government should be set up so that...'

'...no man need be afraid of another.'"

"That's very good."

 _Well, I also know about Montesquieu because I was there when the Constitution was drafted._

"Thank you."

"I'm astonished."

"It's one of the many things we learn in American History," I added.

Riley came our way with the controller in one hand and the helicopter in the other.

"I got it, I got it. I hope you read French," he said, handing the controller with the clue to Ben.

"May l?"

Ben handed the controller to the policeman in front of us.

"He's a cop."

"Get over it, Riley," I retorted.

"Um... 'Across the sea these twins stand determined...' Resolute. '...to preserve what we are looking for. Uh... Laboulaye, 1876.'"

"It's a clue."

 _Uh, yeah, Riley. It's not like we didn't know that!_

"'These twins stand resolute.' Let's see. Resolute twins. Resolute. Resolute. And then twins."

 _Yeah. I am trying to think here as well._

" _You'll need to go into British history to get the answer, Essie."_

 _Thanks for the tip, Alex. AT LAST MINUTE!_

"Siamese twins? Siam? Trade routes between France and Thailand? That's ridiculous."

 _Wait, there's something called Resolute but I can't…_

"HMS Resolute! A British ship that got lost in the Arctic in the 1800s. It was salvaged by American whalers, and then Congress sent it back to England. When the ship was finally retired, Queen Victoria had two desks made from its timbers. Voilà. Resolute twins."

Amazed, the French cop asked, "And where are those desks now?"

"The closest one is in London. Riley. How fast can we get to Buckingham Palace?"

"Don't know. Why don't you ask your new best friend?"

The policemen conversed in their native tongues to each other before the one that spoke fluent English returned his attention to us.

"He's going to call you a cab."

 _Awesome! Now we can do this before the world falls apart again!_

"Nice helicopter. Is that yours?"

"Yes, actually. It is."

 _Oh, yeah. Sorry, Riley._

"OK, so you get the ticket."

"Great," in the most sarcastic of all tones.

I smirked. France was great and all, but we had to get going to England ASAP. The ride to England was shorter, but still just as boring and late. We bought a night at a hotel and proceeded to get some rest for the next part of our adventure. Alex and I conversed again about what the next course of action would be. Since one of the Resolute Desks was in the Queen's Office, we would have to bypass security. Now, I could do that with no trouble whatsoever, but I needed Ben's help in puzzle solving. As good as I am, I'm not that good.

He checked up on me that night we were in the hotel room. I couldn't sleep. I looked out the window to the lit city of London. Something about it seemed… I don't know, calming and mysterious. Ben came up next to me and sat at my bedside.

"You okay, Esther?"

"Yeah." I paused for some time. "Ben, I'm just confused with why I was given this gift. I mean, there are better people out there than me that can use this for something… more. And then I have this complicated relationship with a dead guy I see every day, as a walking spirit or in an image."

"I can't help you with that part." We laughed. "But I might be able to help with why you were given this gift. Did you ever tell someone about it?"

"Just Teacher and two close friends. But I can trust them with anything. I love my mom, but either she'd freak or think I was going crazy if I told her."

"And did you ever use it for personal gain?"

"Never! Well, maybe the occasional extra credit questions or studying for a really tough quiz."

"I think those are exceptions," Ben chuckled. "But you already made my point, Esther."

"Huh?"

"You are a very selfless girl, save the occasional moments of greediness however big. This gift allows you to hold a lot of power and wisdom without someone trying to bribe or convince you to use it for something wrong. Those two pieces are in you. That is the key to a successful future and that is the reason why you have this gift."

"Robert told me something like that when we were looking for the Templar treasure."

"Robert? Are you talking about Robert Livingston?"

"Yeah. I only met him twice. The first time I just told you and the second…"

"The second time?"

 **I waited a moment, hesitant to tell him, but he deserved to know the truth.**

"Ben, I pray you will forgive me with what I'm going to tell you. I witnessed Thomas' death."

"What?" he asked in shock. "When?"

"The night before you gave that speech about him and the whole mess with his name on the page."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You think I wanted the whole history community to know that I'm a past seer and medium? Besides, people would find it difficult to believe your airtight confidence, especially when you don't have any other proof."

"That's true…"

The clock tower in the distance rang, telling what time it was. For Ben and I, it was late. We said our goodnights and rested for the next day. Morning came and I got ready with a quick shower, clean clothes, and decent breakfast. Ben and Riley were going over the layout of Buckingham Palace.

"So the queen's office is here. The elevator shaft gets you close, but the only direct access is through security."

"It has to be something that will get the attention of the security people."

"That should be exciting."

"We got to get you in that room."

Ben's phone rang and he answered it.

"Hi, Dad."

 _Patrick must be checking up on Ben._

" _Um, Essie. That's not the only reason."_

 _Huh?_

"Call the police. I'm coming home."

"What happened?"

 _Alex. Did you forget to tell me something last night?_

" _Maybe."_

I gave him a look with my arms crossed.

" _Patrick's house was broken into. Someone else is after the treasure. In fact, Patrick should get a new cellphone soon."_

 _You've got to be kidding me._

" _Just don't hint it to anyone."_

"OK. We're in London. We're going to Buckingham Palace. We have an appointment with the curator tomorrow afternoon."

 _We do? Of course we do. Then we'll make a scene and get detained by security._

"Bye." He hung up. "Someone else is after the treasure."

"Of course someone else is after the treasure. It's the axiom of treasure hunting."

"We have to hurry and see that desk."

"We don't want to miss that appointment."

I pressed my eyebrows together, also confused.

"Esther, what are you doing for this?"

"I'm going to sneak in as a maid. I can do some cleaning on the level of the Queen's Office. I'll listen in on anything that happens. But you're on your own from there."

"We'll keep that in mind. Anything else?"

A knock came at the door. I walked over and opened it.

"ESSIE!"

I was knocked down to the floor by an extremely excited Betsy. She had two bags on her: one with gear and one with her clothes. She wouldn't let me go and I was starting to suffocate when Ben and Riley pulled the two of us apart.

"Um, Esther. Who is this?"

"Ben, Riley. I'd like you to meet my best friend and quartermaster from the Society, Betsy Rossanne."

"Betsy Ross-anne?"

"Yep. Apparently, she's related to the first Betsy Ross and over the years, they added an 'anne' to the end. Don't know why and I don't care to know why."

"I got here as quickly as I could so that I could make sure your covert suit would fit."

"Covert suit?" Riley asked.

"My costume, accessories, and normal mission clothes. This way, Bets."

I led her to my room and she handed me the black cami and knee high leggings.

"I made sure the dress would conceal the leggings. But I need to see for myself."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You still have that dress from a year ago?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just in case."

I went behind a changing screen and put on the "undergarments" of my costume. I came out and Betsy set to work. She slipped on the maid costume and buttoned me up. Ben and Riley poked their heads in to see what Betsy was doing.

"So, I was wondering if you heard from him recently," she started

"Which 'him' are you talking about?"

Betsy gave me a look: an "are you kidding me" look.

"Oh! That him!" I realized as it dawned on me. "No, I haven't heard anything from him."

"He's been on missions left and right in South America. Last I heard, he was in Peru undercover in a drug cartel."

"Well that's fun."

"He's been asking about you recently," she added.

"Bets, you know that it was a long time ago. And I don't have the same feelings for him as he does for me. Remember?"

"Yeah, but can't you just give him a chance? This is supposed to be his last and he's planning to come home within a month. Please Esther? Please, please, please, please, please, please, please-"

"OKAY! Fine! I'll give him a chance. Just stop begging me!"

"Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you-"

"BETS!"

She giggled and continued working on the costume. She stood back to admire her work.

"It's absolutely perfect!" she squealed in a British accent.

"I figured. The shoes and gear?"

"Shoes have suction cups when you remove the soles. Apron contains extra tranquilizer darts and hidden pockets. Small backpack is in the maids' closet with all of the basic gear you will ever need plus a change of street clothes fit for any condition in London."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Not really. I'll be accompanying you back to the states once you get back into the hotel."

"Sounds good."

Betsy stayed in my room as I went through an equipment-lacking circuit to keep my body in shape. She flew in from the states without rest. She deserved to have some, especially on a very comfy British bed. Nightfall came and I looked at the London skyline once more, wondering why I was looking out.


	6. Chapter 5

Off to Buckingham Palace! Bets dropped me off in the back where the kitchen was. I took a roll and ate a little of it along the way. One of the bathrooms was available and I changed into a maid, my day clothes passed on to a fellow Society member in the Palace. One of the biggest rules we have is to never go somewhere without your pin. The pin gets you resources and communication; never let those go to waste. I wired myself with the earpiece and a microphone in a British flag pin so I could listen to Ben, Riley, and Betsy as we got into places.

"Hey Esther. Blondie at Ben's 6 o'clock."

"Not really telling me much."

I took a vacuum and headed up the elevator.

"Yeah, but you know the blonde."

"Ooohhh." I already knew by then the whole sting was probably sunk.

"I'm going to video tape the whole thing," Betsy giggled.

 _Cool. Then I can watch the hysterical conversation between the couple, hopefully after we get what we came for._

"Abigail," Ben stated, shocked.

"Abigail? What's she doing here?" Riley commented.

"What're you doing?"

 _Wow. Very one-minded like._

"Your dad called me. Said your next clue was here."

"She's really there?"

"Ben..."

"Drop her. Lose her," Riley pushed

"I want to help."

 _This is about to get good._

"That's very nice, but it's a bad time right now."

There was a slight pause after Ben informed Abigail.

"A bad time, right now?"

"It's a bad time."

"OK, I just flew all the way to London to offer my help..."

"Remember the plan," Riley reminded.

"You don't need it?"

"You're the one making a scene."

"I... I'm not making a scene right now."

"No, we want to make a scene."

 _Yep. And the fun starts… now._

"Well then, fine! If that's what you want, let's have it out now!"

"Ah, so subtle."

I sighed with my mouth closed as I listened in. I texted to Betsy quickly: you better have this on video.

Betsy: oh yeah. I'll burn a DVD copy for you when we get back home.

"Let me guess? It's the wrong time. It's the wrong place. I'm wrong again! Wrong about us, wrong about Thomas Gates, wrong that you'd like the Queen Anne chair!"

"You're wrong to assume I'd like the chair."

"You see? Everybody, listen to this. This is more interesting than that. She thinks that even when I'm right, I'm wrong! Isn't that right? Abigail, just because I answer a question quickly doesn't make it wrong."

At that point, I wasn't sure if I really wanted to hear the rest of the act because it didn't sound like an act anymore.

"Not if the answer's something we need to figure out as a couple. That's what couples do!"

Betsy: here come the Bobbies.

"Sir. You and your missis, take it outside."

"Now look what you've done. You've brought the little Bobbies down on us! You take the missis outside. I'm staying right here."

"Ben!"

"Whee!"

Betsy: down the banister.

"Good afternoon, sir."

"Hello."

 _Did he just use a cockney accent?_

"Been drinking, have we?"

 _Ah. That would explain the little bottle he had this morning._

"Just a nip. Popped down to the pub for a pint! Bit of all right! Going to arrest a man for that? Going to detain a blighter for enjoying his whiskey?"

"Sir, that's enough."

"Bangers and mash.

"What?"

"Bubbles and squeak. Smoked eel pie."

"Sir!"

"Haggis!"

"That's it! Dismount the banister!"

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts! Here they are, standing in a row! Small ones, big ones, some as big as your head!"

"That was brilliant."

"Really, Riley? I hadn't noticed," I commented to him sarcastically.

"They're headed to security."

"Thank you, Betsy. Make sure everything else is okay."

"You got it."

I shook my head and continued working on the chores your average maid was assigned, so long as I stayed on the floor of the Queen's Office. Ben and Abigail discussed about where they had figured out it was a fake argument and how Ben was often lucky.

"You guys are so great together," Riley intervened.

"Tell me about," I chuckled.

Ben explained to Abigail his theory about there being a clue in the Resolute Desk in the Queen's Office. And then he said that Abigail was staying behind.

 _Stubborn. Just let her come along._

He did, after insisting that she get in the service elevator. I had to assume that a maid or someone was coming and Ben had no choice but to bring Abigail. I moved closer to the Queen's Office so that I could keep a closer eye on the couple. Let me tell you: it's not that easy. The good news was that I could hear everything on the earpiece.

"That's it."

"The Resolute Desk."

"We're looking for...writing, patterns in the carvings. Could be anything. Hey, look at this. 'Malcolm Gilvary, 1880.'"

"Hold on one second." Riley did a quick search. "Here we go. Malcolm Gilvary. Well, he didn't make furniture. He made Chinese puzzle boxes."

Simple Chinese puzzle boxes tended to have numbers or letters and acted like a lock combination. Depending upon the secret or item being kept, the combination was harder with 4 or more digits/ letters. The really complex ones had buttons and sliders all over the place. It was a mess for me to open one from the 9th century. It's a long story that I don't intend to tell.

"I think these drawers work like tumblers in a safe."

"OK, four drawers... Four-digit combination? What about a year?

"Uh, let me see. Queen Victoria, born 1819."

"So you go one... Eight. One. Nine."

"Any luck?"

 _Nope._

"OK... 1876 was on the inscription on the statue in Paris. Let's try that."

"One."

"Eight. Seven. Six."

I glanced at the pair. They stood up and went to the side of the desk.

"Uh oh. New rules. These markings, like Incan or Aztec."

 _Or Olmec?_

"I have never seen any symbols like this. I mean, this looks centuries older than Civil War. What do you think it means?"

"I doubt it has anything to do with the plot to assassinate Lincoln."

 _AAAAAALLLLLLLEEEEEEEXXXXXXXXX!_

"Uh oh. Mayday. Mayday. Ben, get out of there."

I made my way downstairs as fast as I could.

"Riley, now might be a good time for a little diversion," I muttered.

"OK, let's make some noise."

 _Not that kind, Riley!_

I found the bag Betsy told me about and changed into street clothes. The fire alarm system went off in Buckingham Palace. I was not entirely happy.

"Uh oh. God save the queen," Riley mocked with a British accent.

I laughed a little. It was amusing, but I had to get out quickly. I grabbed the bag, leaving behind the maid costume, and moved to where the huge crowd of people were, searching for Ben. I grouped up with him and Abigail and Riley, glad to have the group back together again. We walked over to the car. A shiver went up my spine.

"Thanks for waiting for me. Can I see the thing?"

Ben gave Riley the map.

"Went to Buckingham Palace, all I got was this wood?"

"Look at the symbols. Never seen anything like this. It's an incredible discovery."

I tapped Ben's shoulder and we looked behind. He was here in England. I pressed the emergency button on my pager to alert Betsy.

"Wilkinson."

We all broke into a run.

"He's the one after the treasure!"

"I'll drive."

I got into the back seat behind Ben. There was only one problem with Riley's statement.

"We're in England."

He started up the car. In the rear-view monitor of the car, a man pulled out a gun. I immediately opened my bag and readied my tranquilizer. I don't shoot a real gun unless it's a fight to the death.

"It's a gun! Get down!"

Shots fired and glass shards fell on my head. I wasn't injured, unless you count pride.

"We're trapped!"

 _Really, Riley? I hadn't noticed!_

"Hang on! Keep your heads down."

 _I see no need why I should!_

Besides, my gun was loaded and set. I pointed at the man and tried shooting, but my aim was poor. I made a mental note to practice my aim. Ben drove in reverse for a while and he almost hit a dog. It just decided to lick the camera on the back of the car.

"Sorry."

We drove off with two cars tailing us.

"Ben, they're getting closer."

"What is their problem?"

 _Don't know and don't care._

"Go left! Go left!"

"Hold on."

I looked in my bag once more to find some bungee cords and hooks.

 _Perfect._

I climbed out the back window and attached the hooks to the car, thus giving me a grip to the top of the moving vehicle. Not the first time, I can tell you that.

"Esther are you crazy!?"

"A little. But then again, most of my ideas wouldn't work if I wasn't crazy."

I pointed my gun at the cars and began shooting. The only problem was that the darts weren't sharp enough to pierce the glass. The upside was that I distracted some of the driving.

"Abigail! Under the seat! Hand me the belt!"

She did as I asked and I attached the belt, holding two swords, to my waist. The Brits thought I was absolutely crazy. Well, wouldn't you think it was crazy for a 17 year-old to be on top of a moving vehicle going at least 30 miles per hour?

The black SUV Wilkinson was driving sided up against Ben's. I almost fell off, ALMOST! I'm too good to die or lose such a pathetic challenge. The guys in the SUV were astonished by the sight me. I smirked and held my gun in my hand.

"Turn, turn!"

 _Oh great! A double decker! Just what I need!_

"Watch out!"

We crashed into it sideways. I lost my focus and missed the target.

"Everybody OK?"

"Other than missing my target, I'm good!" I replied sarcastically.

We continued en route away from Wilkinson.

" _He has a first name, Essie."_

 _Oh golly gee. I didn't quite catch it._

" _I'll tell you later since you're a little busy at the moment."_

 _Thank you, Alex. I am a little busy trying to STAY ALIVE!_

We were slowing down with an alcohol delivery truck in front of us. I put away my gun and turned to see what Wilkinson was about to do. The man next to him seemed to be getting a gun ready.

"Come on, come on."

"Ben, I'd hurry if I were you!"

That's when the guy pulled out his gun. I drew my sword from my belt and got ready to deflect.

"Look out!"

He shot at the car and the truck. I deflected 2 of them, missing civilians and people altogether. One of the shots released the barrels of alcohol into the streets. I pushed one of them above me and a few to the side, trying to stay alive and not banged up. It wasn't helping that we were behind the truck that was losing merchandise. I felt no pity for the customers or the buyer. One of the barrels took off the head of a statue.

"Ben, do something!"

He finally did. He drove up the side of the truck and went reverse once in front of it, thus halting the vehicle. I forgot what it was like to have the adrenaline running. It was awesome.

"Go. Go, go, go, go!"

We got going. I still didn't come off the top of the car. My ears twitched at the sound of a high pitched ringing.

"What is that? Someone's phone."

"It's him."

"Have his number in your speed dial?"

 _Shut up, Riley._

"Mitch, this has got to end before someone gets hurt."

 _Too late for that. I have alcohol on my clothes and nearly got decapitated!_

"Tell that to my father."

 _Is there something you want to add now, Alex!?_

" _Later, Essie! Focus on the situation at hand!"_

The truck was in the enemy's hand. I wasn't going to like most of the ride to get away from the bulky vehicle. We went under a building bridge, which was very uncomfortable. Mitch, now that knew his name, wasn't going to stop until he got his hand on the plank leading to the treasure. Abigail's phone camera was broken and we didn't have anything else. I didn't even have a basic throwaway camera.

"Hang on. We're going to run a red light."

 _Oh, so NOW you tell me we're going to do something illegal!?_

Good news? I was wearing a sweater with a hood. I covered my head and laid flat on top of the car as we ran a red light. The police would be surprised I'm sure by the sight of a person on top of a car. It wasn't long before we were on a bridge over the Thames. Mitch drove right next to us. I pulled out my sword, ready to defend. The man next to him held his gun, ready to shoot. Ben put out the plank for him to grab.

"Get it!"

The man put away the gun and reached his hand out. Ben threw the plank over me into the Thames. I thought he was crazy but realized why we ran a red light: they took pictures of the stupid people driving through the light. We continued to get away from Mitch and his gang until we arrived at the hotel. Betsy was sitting down in the room near the door.

"You're soaked." She sniffed me. "Ugh! You smell like rotting fish."

"I'll take that any day at this point. Any clean clothes?"

"Yeah. Tell me what happened."

"Found wooden plank in desk. Ancient Native American, by the way. Bad guys found out. Car chase. Alcohol spilled onto me after bullet went into delivery truck with barrels. Ran a red light. Threw the plank into the Thames. Here I am."

"And I missed out on all the fun. Did the costume work out for you?"

"What do you think? Clothes. Dry. Now."

Betsy giggled and handed me a pile of clean clothes for me to change into. I rinsed off the smell of alcohol and dressed into the dry fabrics. Betsy played with my hair, styling it in the end.

"Anything else, Esther?"

"No thanks. I'd just like to sleep now."

And that's what I did. But I entered a nightmare. I was put onto a battlefield with grays and blues going at each other. Something about the landscape seemed familiar. A wagon came by and loaded up with wounded blues. I hopped on as it hurried off to a camp. The sight of blood and smell of iron almost made me spit out my meal.

"We need all the help we can get."

I lent a hand to where I could: giving meals, carrying water, bringing in the injured, and so on. I was exhausted. So exhausted that I collapsed and woke up to reality. I panted and hyperventilated. I got a grip, gulped, and walked to the balcony. It was only 2 in the morning and the city looked as beautiful as ever.

 _How can something so terrible lead to something wonderful?_

It seemed impossible, and yet here I was, standing in London in a world free of racial slavery. Sure, there was human trafficking, but it wasn't like the enslavement of African Americans. I wondered what the world would come to when I was gone. How different would it be? People changed over time. New generations came up with their ideas and changed history and shaped the world. How would I do that? How would I live? How… why do I really have this gift? It's a cruel gift. I see the horrors of the world that only a small percentage of the populous sees. I see the truth of the gilded earth. I see… everything that someone should never see.

I shook my head. I became too worldly in a few minutes. I packed my bags to be ready for our trip back to the United States. I took a quick shower, dressed and went out for a morning walk when no one would care. I saw criminals and apprehended them before the police arrived. They wouldn't be able to identify me as it was too dark for them to do so. When I got back, everyone was awake and didn't notice I was gone, or that I came back. I sat down for breakfast with the group and we went to the nearest airport with a flight back home.


End file.
